


After

by Hagar, SailorSol, wildforce71



Category: Power Rangers Samurai
Genre: Female Character In Command, Gen, Identity Issues, Injury, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Mental Anguish, POV Alternating, Post-War, Siblings, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-17
Updated: 2012-12-15
Packaged: 2017-11-18 21:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/565246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hagar/pseuds/Hagar, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorSol/pseuds/SailorSol, https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildforce71/pseuds/wildforce71
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Lauren's arrival, Jayden feels without purpose.</p><p>After defeating Master Xandred, the team faces a new challenge: a half-nighlock Jayden.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This story is complete. New chapters will be posted weekly on Saturdays, mornings on EST (afternoon GMT).

It was surprisingly easy, in the end.

Deker was right. This was joy. This was freedom. Jayden was almost sorry he'd defeated Deker. Power was singing through his veins and he had nothing to do with it.

"Jayden!"

He turned in time to get an armful of Emily. Jayden shrugged her off as quickly as he could, taking a step back to distance himself as Mike and Mia pounded up. "What are you doing?"

"What do you mean, what are we doing? We came to look for you, dude." Mike took a step forward, hand out; Jayden took a step back, matching the distance exactly.

"Why?"

"Why?" Mike repeated. Mia touched his shoulder; she'd realised something was wrong. Jayden smirked at the thought.

"Jayden?" Emily said hesitantly.

He spared her a glance before turning to leave. "Go away."

"Jayden!" Mia protested.

"Go. Away."

Mike jogged after him. "Look, man, we get you're upset, but running away? That's not the way to deal with it. Why don't you..."

He put a hand on Jayden's shoulder; Jayden turned, knocking him back a step and bringing up his blade in the same motion. The girls yelled, their voices blending into meaningless noise, but Mike was very, very still, eyes locked on the blade hovering a hairs' breadth from his throat.

"Go away," Jayden repeated softly, and Mike's eyes snapped up to his.

"What the hell?" he protested.

Jayden flared into his new, Nighlok form, laughing soundlessly at the sheer _ease_ of it. Mike's eyes widened and then shuttered; someone – Emily, he thought absently – muffled a scream in the background.

" _Jayden_ ," Mike breathed, and the soft, broken sound made Jayden laugh again. Visible over Mike's shoulder, Kevin was frozen on the edge of the clearing, watching through narrowed eyes.

"Deker was right," Jayden told him. "It's easy. And things are _good_ on this side."

Mike's eyes flicked down to the sword and back to Jayden's. "You're kidding, right? This is what you've been fighting _against_ all your life!"

Jayden flicked the sword up and back, enough to nick Mike's jaw; he tried to recoil and the blade followed. "Mia," he said without looking away, "why don't you and Emily head back to the House? Mike will follow you. In a few minutes."

Emily protested; Jayden didn't bother to listen, and after a signal from Kevin, Mia dragged her away. Jayden shifted back to human, stretching and finally letting his blade drop.

Mike didn't move; his fingers twitched, but he didn't reach for the tiny cut. "What have you done, Jayden?"

"What should I have done, Mike?"

"We need you!"

"No." Jayden paced idly in a circle; Mike turned on the spot to watch him. "Fifteen years I trained, and I was nothing. 'Thanks for playing, here's your consolation prize.' "

"So you turned to this instead? This is not an answer! This drove Deker insane!"

Jayden spread his hands. "Guess we'll get to see which of us is stronger, then." He gestured behind Mike. "Take Kevin with you, and go. Don't get in my way again."

"Jayden," Mike started again.

Jayden flicked his blade, not quite threatening, just drawing Mike's attention to it. "Don't get in my way again," he repeated, turning on his heel and walking away.

 

* * *

 

Kevin didn't speak as they made their way out of the forest. Mike was distractedly rubbing at the tiny cut on his jaw; it barely stung, but he couldn't stop poking at it.

The girls were some distance ahead, arguing; they broke off when they saw the boys, hurrying back to join them. Emily threw herself at Mike, trying to hug him and examine his jaw at the same time.

"It's nothing." Mike pushed gently until she backed up a little, though she was still holding his chin. "I'm fine, Emily."

"He didn't..." She cut herself off, letting go and taking a step back.

"No," Kevin answered for him. "Jayden didn't hurt him."

"Are we sure that was Jayden?" Emily asked hopefully. "Maybe it was a trick, or..."

"It was him." Mike couldn't have explained it if they'd asked, but he'd looked into Jayden's eyes, and he _knew_.

They didn't ask; Emily pressed a hand over her mouth, Kevin folded his arms and looked away, and Mia –

– Was looking at Mike. "Are you ok?" she asked.

"It's just a scratch."

"Mike..."

Everyone's phones rang. Kevin pulled his out, listening for a moment before nodding. "We're on the way, Mentor." Hanging up, he told them, "There's an attack down at the docks. Antonio and Lauren are already on their way. Let's go."

"What, that's it?" Mike protested.

"We can't do anything about Jayden right now," Kevin said firmly. "We _can_ do something about the attack, so let's focus on that."

"You're not even going to tell them?"

"What good would it do? It'll only distract them right now. Let's just get this fight done and then we can deal with –" He gestured over his shoulder. "That."

" _That_ is _Jayden_!"

"Mike, I _know_ ," Kevin said, and he suddenly sounded tired. No, not tired. Worn down. "But he's gone who knows where, and he's not afraid to attack us, and Lauren and Antonio need us right now. We're Samurai; we have a duty."

Mike grimaced. "Fine. For the record, I'm not the one keeping this from them."

"Noted. Let's go."

 

* * *

 

"I should have known."

Mia looked up, frowning. Antonio had barely spoken yet, absorbing the news in silence. "How could you have known?"

"I talked to him. At the harbour, he told me – he said he didn't know who he was. And I left him alone."

"You couldn't have known..."

"He's my best friend!"

"Yeah?" Kevin shifted. "Tell me, best friend, has he always wanted to fall to Nighlok, or is that new?"

" _Kevin_!" Emily protested.

"No." Antonio stood. "That was us."

"Excuse me?"

"That was us," he repeated. "We let him walk away with nowhere to go and nothing to go to. Everything he spent his life training for is gone, and he doesn't have anything else."

"Fifteen years I trained, and I was nothing," Mike said.

"Mike?" Emily asked quietly. He hadn't spoken yet either, and he was still worrying at the barely visible cut on his jaw; Mia thought he probably didn't realise he was doing it.

He looked at Lauren. "That's what he said. When – in the forest. 'Fifteen years I trained, and I was nothing'."

"There's no point assigning blame, Mike," Ji said tiredly.

"I'm not blaming anyone." He was still looking at Lauren, though.

"Mentor," Mia said, deliberately drawing attention away from Lauren, "is there a way to fix this?"

"Jayden is only the second example I've ever heard of."

"And we didn't exactly try to fix Deker," Antonio agreed.

"Deker didn't want to be saved," Mike muttered.

No one asked the obvious question. Probably, Mia thought, they were afraid of the answer.

"Mike, do you want me to look at that?" Ji asked after a moment.

"Look at what?" Mike finally seemed to realise what he was doing, dropping his hand with a grimace. "No. It doesn't hurt."

"Are you sure?" Emily asked.

"It's fine, Em."

Mia stood. "Lauren, can you help me in the kitchen, please?"

"Of course," Lauren agreed blankly.

She followed Mia to the kitchen, but once there she just stood and watched as Mia moved around her, making tea. "How can I help?" she asked finally.

"I wanted to make sure you were ok," Mia said carefully, stacking cups onto a tray. "This is a lot to happen in two days."

"Mike thinks it's my fault."

"No," Mia said automatically, and then thought about it. "Yes. Maybe. But he'll get past that." She put the tray down, sliding onto a stool. "Mike likes – Lauren, come sit down."

"Oh." Lauren did so, carefully clasping her hands and resting them in her lap.

"Mike pushes," Mia told her. "He's always done it. You need to – don't get angry; that's not the way to handle him."

"Handle him," Lauren repeated with a frown.

"You're the Red Ranger," Mia reminded her gently. "You need to be able to deal with the team, and you don't have time to learn."

"Master Xandred's gone."

Mia took a deep breath. "Jayden isn't."

"Jayden's my brother..."

"And a Nighlok." Lauren flinched and Mia looked away. "I'm sorry. I know this has to be hard on you."

"Three days ago I was living with my mentor, and I could count the people I'd ever met on one hand," Lauren said quietly. "Two days ago I met my brother, for the first time in twelve years. Yesterday he left me, and today he's my enemy and the enemy I spent my life training to defeat is gone."

"I know. I don't think this is about you, though...all right," she corrected herself at Lauren's look. "It's a little about you. But not you, you – just the plan. He was honestly happy to see you, Lauren."

"We both grew up knowing this was the plan. He was always going to step aside."

"Knowing something and really knowing it are different things, Lauren. Jayden's heard the plan since before he can remember, but that doesn't mean he actually ever thought about what it would mean for him."

"So this is my fault."

"No. It's a lot of bad timing and bad planning from pretty much everyone. Including Jayden; he has to take some of the blame here. He made a choice, after all."

Lauren shuddered slightly, reaching for one of the cups to pour herself some tea. "So Mike is going to push and I should stay calm. What about the others?"

 

* * *

 

Ji eventually ordered everyone to bed. No one was surprised when Antonio slipped into Jayden's room instead of his own.

No one slept. Or, at least, when the alarms went off at half past one in the morning, everyone was up within a few seconds.

"What's going on?" Lauren asked, slipping between the others to join Ji.

"We're under attack," Ji said numbly. Red light flared outside and he glanced in that direction before looking at Lauren. "Jayden's outside."

"What?" Mike headed for the door; light flared as he pulled it open and he flinched, one hand going up to shield his eyes. "He's not..."

"The barrier's keeping him out." Ji was still looking at Lauren. "But he still has symbol power; he's trying to get through."

"Can he?" Kevin asked.

"I don't know. I built the wards, but Jayden has helped me repair them. He knows them as well as anyone – but his strength is not in defensive symbols. And the wards are heavily layered. Even for Jayden, breaking through will be very difficult."

"Kevin," Mike said from the door. Kevin went to join him and cursed.

"What?" Lauren demanded.

"He's burning the walls." Mike was eerily calm, but he was worrying at the tiny cut on his jaw again. "On the outside. It's not coming through.”

Ji pushed between Emily and Mia to get to the door, hissing. "Ah, Jayden," he murmured. Turning, he added, "Kevin, Lauren, see if you can get that under control. Emily, you too." He stepped outside; Antonio scrambled after him, and after an uncertain moment Mike followed.

"Come on, Em." Mia wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leading her out on Lauren's heels.

Ji pulled the gates open, staying inside. Jayden was outside, idly sketching symbols and tossing them at the walls; Antonio read _break_ and _fall_ and _destroy_ before he stopped looking.

"What are you doing?" Ji asked.

"I'm practising my symbol power. Doesn't it make you proud, Ji? See how _hard_ I'm working?" He sent the next symbol directly at them; Mike and Antonio both flinched, but the symbol splashed across the shield and vanished. "After all, who needs _sleep_ , Ji?" Another symbol, another splash. "Fate of the _world_ , right?" Another, and this time it lingered, tinting the shield red. "Until you don't _need_ me anymore." Another, and brighter red, and now they could barely see Jayden through it.

"You chose to leave..." Ji started.

"It was chosen for me. Like everything in my life, according to my father's wonderful, perfect plan, and the training _you_ gave me." The shield was failing; Antonio could see it straining.

Kevin's water splashed over the shield and the walls, dousing the fire, and Jayden laughed. "Oh dear, looks like I'm defeated. Better give myself up."

"Jayden." Lauren joined them, stepping just past Ji. "What are you doing?"

"Lauren..." Antonio caught at her shoulder.

"Jayden. Come _home_."

"That's the home I had to leave to make room for you, right?" Jayden shook his head. Sketching one more symbol, he tossed it at the shield directly in front of her; Lauren flinched as the shield shattered, but held her ground as he approached.

In a mocking reversal of their first meeting, he reached out to touch her cheek. "I'll see you soon, big sister," he promised, and then he turned and was gone into the night.

 

* * *

 

Antonio tapped on Kevin's door a little after dawn. "You busy?" he asked.

"Why?" he asked, already pulling on a shirt.

"Need a hand with something. Come on."

Kevin trailed him into the yard, hesitating when Antonio headed out of the gate. "Antonio..."

"He isn't around, and even if he is he's not going to attack. Come on."

"What makes you so sure?"

Antonio glanced back at him. "If he attacks us, we can't appreciate his handiwork."

"What handiwork?"

Antonio didn't answer, and Kevin grimaced, following him around the corner of the wall. "What the hell..."

Black scorch marks decorated the walls in very specific patterns. Antonio gestured helplessly. "We can't let the others see..."

"How does he even do that?" Kevin tilted his head to read a sidewards kanji. "Danger."

"Fear," Antonio continued, pointing. "Death. Pain. Unsafe. We've got to get them off the walls before the others see them."

"Yeah." Kevin concentrated for a moment before sketching a symbol. Water splashed against the wall, smearing one of the marks into illegibility.

"Nice," Antonio muttered.

"Hey, this isn't as easy as it looks. You want clean, go get a brush or something." He repeated the symbol and the next mark smeared away.

"What, the Super Blue Samurai can't manage better than that?"

"Hey, I got the fire _out_ , didn't I?"

"And left his messages everywhere. Good job."

Kevin turned, glaring at him. "I'm not the one who chased after him and then left him alone!"

Antonio smiled grimly, taking a step forward; they were toe to toe, now. "No. You're the one who didn't chase after him at all, right?"

An arrow shot between them, thudding into the wall. Kevin tried to jump back and failed; the arrow had taken a fold of his shirt with it and he was pinned in place.

Antonio stumbled back a step before catching himself; touching the arrow warily, he got a grip and pulled it out of the wall. "Shiba," he said, turning it so Kevin could see the mark. "Let's get this done and argue once we're inside the walls, deal?"

"Deal," Kevin agreed.

Another arrow sailed overhead, just barely clearing the wall and clattering to earth somewhere inside. Antonio grimaced, glancing at Kevin. "What say we do this quietly, since he can obviously hear us?"

"I'll do it. Go warn the others."

"Be _careful_ , Kevin."

"Yeah. I'm right behind you."

 

* * *

 

Antonio met the girls at the door; he caught Emily's arm, hustling them back inside. "Don't go outside."

"Antonio, what's wrong?" Emily asked.

"Where are the others?"

"Eating. What's wrong?"

"Come on."

Emily glanced at Mia, who shook her head in confusion, following him. The others were all in the kitchen; Antonio carefully laid the arrow in front of Ji, folding his arms.

"What is that?" Mike asked, reaching out to poke it with one finger.

"That's the Shiba crest," Lauren said slowly. "Antonio..."

"Jayden's outside, somewhere."

"He _shot_ at you?" Mike said in disbelief.

"Me and Kevin, yeah." He glanced at Ji. "Very, very carefully didn't hit us. And he got one over the wall; the wards didn't stop it."

"They're still weak from last night. I'll take care of them today."

"Wait, where's Kevin?" Emily asked suddenly.

"Here." Kevin came in, offering the second arrow to Lauren.

She turned it to read the symbols, grimacing as she passed it to Ji. "It says _sleep well_."

"That's the one he shot over the wall."

Ji bundled the two arrows together. "Lauren, I will need your help with the wards."

"No." She shook her head. "Jayden and I have the same power and we received the same training. If I help with the wards, he'll know exactly how to bring them down again." She considered for a moment. "Emily."

"Me?" Emily said in surprise.

"Yes. You have very strong power, and your earth element will add stability to the wards."

"No," Mike said abruptly. "I'll do it."

"Mike..." Lauren started.

"If he's out there firing arrows at people, you can't send Emily out. I'll do it."

"Mike," Emily murmured.

"Wood can be just as stable as earth." He looked at Ji. "I can do it."

"Very well," Ji agreed after a moment. "Are you ready now?"

"Yeah."

"No," Lauren contradicted him. "You both need to finish eating." Mike made a face, and she insisted, "Wards are tiring, and they're not something you have any experience with. Finish eating."

"The longer we wait..."

"Nothing," Antonio said quietly. "He could get in if he wants. He isn't here; he doesn't want in. We have time."

None of them had anything to say to that.

Lauren stood over them until they'd finished eating and then went as far as the door, watching as they went out of the gate. Mike was carrying his sword in one hand, though none of them were sure how much help it would be.

Nothing happened for a while; Mike and Ji worked patiently, weaving symbols together to repair and strengthen the wards. Ji was quietly starting to think that Mike may have been a better choice for this job than Lauren; she had more raw power, but Mike was far more creative than she was, and his wood power was adding an element of growth to the wards. They would self-repair, to an extent, and as long as Mike repowered them every so often the layers of shield would grow into and over each other, strengthening and thickening.

He paused them before the last series of symbols. Mike was holding up well, but he wasn't used to this kind of work and it was clearly wearing on him. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine. Let's get this done."

"All right," Ji agreed with a sigh. "Are you ready?"

"Yep." Mike lifted his Samuraiser, poised to start.

An arrow thudded into the wall inches from Ji's raised hand. He froze for a moment before deliberately continuing his movement; another arrow landed on the other side of his hand, and when he didn't react another landed above. Mike was already watching the trees, sword up and ready; Ji turned, scanning the treeline. "Jayden!"

An arrow landed between his feet, almost hitting him. He stepped back in surprise and the second arrow took him low in the shoulder, almost in his armpit.

He was already down when Mike reacted.

Ji screamed. The sound echoed in Mike's ears as he dropped to his knees, hands hovering uselessly for a moment as he tried to remember what he was supposed to do. Surely the others could hear him screaming?

Jayden wandered up, dropping to a hunker on Ji's other side. "Missed," he said casually.

"What the hell are you doing?" Mike demanded. Blood was bubbling up from the wound, shockingly red; he should be trying to stem it, but he was terrified of moving the arrow. The slightest mistake and Ji would lose the use of his arm.

Where were the others? Couldn't they hear the screaming?

Jayden reached for the arrow; Mike went to catch his wrist and found himself flat on his back some feet away. "Don't be stupid," Jayden drawled. "If I wanted him dead, I'd have hit him sooner."

Mike dragged himself upwards, heaving in a breath. "Gotta go for the old man, huh?"

"What were my options?" Jayden took a firm grip on the arrow, advising Ji, "Hold still. This'll hurt."

"Jay..."

Ji arched, screaming, and Mike scrambled to get his hands over the wound as it began pumping blood at a terrifying rate. Everything he'd ever learned about the body's vulnerabilities told him this was a mortal wound.

Where the hell were the others?

"Jayden, this is _Ji_ ," Mike said urgently. "He raised you."

"Yeah," Jayden agreed, looking down. Ji was writhing under Mike's hands, gasping for breath. "You raised a perfect little weapon, didn't you? You taught me how to fight and how to wage war, and I _learned_ , Ji. I learned very well."

"Attacking an old man's low," Mike spat. Ji's lips were turning blue.

The others had to be hearing him. Mike could barely hear anything else.

"Well, who else was I going to attack?" Jayden's gaze flicked up and down him once. "You're not exactly a challenge."

Mike snarled, but he couldn't risk letting go of Ji for even a second. "You'll eat those words."

"Terrified," Jayden assured him. "I'd better go think of ways to deal with that when it happens. Oh – know what? I don't _need_ to. You're not a _threat_ , Mike." He glanced down at Ji. "Huh. He doesn't look so good. Better hurry and get some help here, Mike."

He pushed to his feet, and the shield Mike hadn't even noticed shattered around them. "Bye," Jayden said with a grin, loping towards the nearest strand of trees.

Startled yells came from inside the walls, and a moment later Kevin was there. "Mike! What the hell happened?"

"He's bleeding out," Mike gritted. His hands were cramping and Ji was struggling, trying to get _away_ , and he was _hurting Ji_ , and he didn't _dare_ lighten up even a little. Ji was gray-faced and barely breathing.

The others were clustering around, talking over each other. Mike couldn't hear anything anyone was saying; he'd never wanted to cover his ears more, but he couldn't move. Ji was bleeding out under his hands.

"Everyone shut up!" Lauren demanded over them all. "Mike." She knelt on Ji's other side; distantly, he noted it was exactly where Jayden had been, less than sixty seconds ago. "Mike, listen to me. I can stop the bleeding, but you need to let go, all right?"

"He's bleeding out!"

"I know," she said, infuriatingly calm. "But I promise I can help him. But you _have_ to let go."

She was kneeling in a pool of Ji's blood. She hadn't even looked down.

"It'll work?" Vaguely, he knew he should be moving already; symbol power had its limits, and Ji was fading fast.

"It will definitely work. Are you ready? I'm going to count, ok?" She glanced over his shoulder briefly. "One, two..."

He threw himself backwards on three, scrabbling away; someone caught his shoulders and someone else was talking to him, but his attention was all on Lauren and Ji. The first symbol barely seemed to affect him; after the third application, though, the blood had slowed to a trickle.

Lauren wavered as she stood, and Kevin steadied her. "We have to get him inside. Emily, I'm going to need your help, ok?"

"Mine?" Emily said from behind Mike. Oh. That was who was holding his shoulders.

"Yeah. Come on. Mike, can you walk?"

"I – what?"

She glanced at him for a minute before looking over his shoulder. "Got him?"

"Yeah," Mia said from his other side. Mike turned his head, slowly, frowning at her.

Kevin and Antonio were lifting Ji, and Mike scrambled forward with a yell. "Careful!"

"It's all right," Lauren assured him. "It's safe to move him, but we have to get him inside so we can keep helping him, all right? Come on. Come with me."

Mia went to take Mike's hand; he jerked away, suddenly very aware of Ji's blood, caked up to his wrists and smeared up to his elbows. "Don't touch me."

"All right," Mia agreed. "Let's go, though, ok? Come on."


	2. The Embers

 Ji had stopped screaming.

Mia was doing her best to ignore the frantic noise from the other room; Lauren talking Emily through the symbols they needed, Antonio and Kevin moving around each other with supplies. Kevin came through every few minutes in case she needed anything, but she was essentially alone with Mike.

"Is that too hot?" she murmured. Mike glanced down at the bowl of water, but he didn't answer, looking back towards the door of the recovery room. Mia winced, continuing to sponge off the blood from his hands.

"Mike," she said after a minute. "I need to change the water. Stay here, ok?" He didn't answer, and she reached for his chin, turning his face around. "Mike."

"Stay here," he repeated thickly.

"I'll only be a minute."

"Yeah."

It took her seventy three seconds; she counted each one, because when she wasn't concentrating on something, she could hear what Lauren was saying as she coached Emily. Mike was hovering in the door of the recovery room, rubbing his hands absently together as he watched.

"Mike." Mia touched his arm; he glanced around, letting her lead him back into the living room.

"Is he all right?" he asked.

"They're still working on him, but he's going to be all right."

"Are you sure?"

"Very. Is this too hot?"

Mike ignored the question again, looking back at the recovery room. "I should go and see if I can help."

"No, right now you need to sit here, Mike."

"Why is he screaming?"

"He isn't screaming, Mike."

"I can hear him."

"I know you can," she agreed quietly. Mike had been complaining of that since they'd got him inside. "But he isn't screaming. He's sleeping."

Mike went to rub his face and recoiled at the sight of his hands. "Oh, god."

Mia could sympathise. All she'd been doing was cleaning Mike's hands, and she still felt soiled in a way that went far beyond dirt.

"I need to shower," Mike muttered.

"Good idea," she agreed carefully. "Leave your clothes on the floor and I'll get them. Mike?" She waited until he looked at her to add, "Don't lock the door."

He frowned briefly before shrugging. "No."

Antonio leaned out of the recovery room. "Mia, is there more saline?"

"In the kitchen; I'll get it." She started piling the towels she'd been using into her bowl.

"Thanks. Hey, Mike, good job taking the arrow out. Almost perfect."

"I didn't do it."

"What?" Antonio glanced from Mia back to Mike. "He didn't do it himself, the angle's all wrong."

"Jayden pulled it." He turned to Mia, eyes desperate. "He's screaming."

"He's not, Mike. I promise."

"Can I..." He crossed to the door, careful not to touch anything as he leaned in to check on Ji.

Behind his back, Antonio touched his ears questioningly. Mia shook her head helplessly. Whatever Mike was hearing, he was convinced it was real.

"He's asleep," Mike murmured.

"Yeah." Mia carefully ushered him away from the door. "Come on, let's let them work. Antonio, I'll be back in a minute, ok?"

Antonio glanced over his shoulder. "Never mind, you're busy. Kitchen?"

"Under the sink, I think."

"Thanks. Hey..." He caught her arm, murmuring, "Ask him about Jayden."

Mia sighed. "He's not hearing me half the time anyway, but I'll try."

 

* * *

 

Antonio quietly piled the last of the stained bandages into the trash bag and tied it shut, dropping it beside the door. Glancing around the room, he nodded once. They weren't set up for anything like this, but they'd managed, more or less; he took a moment to be grateful for Ji's paranoia. Who'd have thought Rangers would need an IV kit and rehydrating supplies?

They couldn't do anything about the blood he'd lost; none of them were a match. If they could get him awake to eat something soon, though, he'd be all right.

He checked the room one last time. Equipment clean, floor clean, bandages and rubbish cleared away. Right. Scooping up the trash bag, he slipped out of the room.

Mia glanced up as he paused in the living room. Emily was curled loosely on the stools, fast asleep; Mike was leaning against them, one hand in hers and head on his arm, dead to the world. It didn't look like he could possibly be comfortable, all angles as though he'd just fallen there, and his face was completely slack. Antonio looked away, shuddering.

Kevin was pacing in the dojo and Lauren was sitting on the floor, back against one of the walls, head tilted back to lean against the wall. Antonio headed for the kitchen to throw the trash bag away before coming back to hunker beside her. "You ok?" he murmured.

"Yeah." She didn't move. "Just really worn out."

"What do you need?"

"Nothing, just rest."

"We have to decide what to do," Kevin announced.

"Kevin, shush," Mia said warningly. "Mike and Emily need the sleep."

"Emily did really well," Antonio agreed. "I never would've kept up as long as she did."

"She has a lot of power," Lauren offered, eyes closed. "She overthinks things."

"Didn't have time for that in there," Antonio murmured, shifting to sit on the floor.

She tilted her head towards him without lifting it away from the wall. "You did really well too. Thanks."

"Yeah, I carry bandages real well, huh?" She started to answer and he shook his head. "Never mind."

Kevin sat on the steps, scowling at them. "Antonio."

"What?" Antonio stared at him before looking at Mia. "Did Mike say anything about Jayden?"

"Nothing that made sense."

"What's this?" Lauren asked.

"Mike says Jayden pulled the arrow."

"He didn't have time," Kevin protested. "We were there straight away."

Antonio shook his head, looking at Lauren. "There's symbols for shields, right?"

"Yes." Lauren swallowed. "There are." Staring at her hands, she added, "Ji lost a lot of blood before we got there."

Mia came to join them. "He was bleeding and we didn't hear him?"

"Mike wasn't hurt," Kevin pointed out. "If Jayden was there and we didn't hear it, he had plenty of time. Why not take him out?"

"He didn't need to." Antonio swallowed. "Mike couldn't do anything to him, he was trying to keep Ji alive. No threat, no need to do anything about him."

"If he's trying..."

"He hasn't killed any of us," he said over Kevin. "He could have; he hasn't. He doesn't want us dead. He's playing."

"No." Kevin shook his head firmly. "That's not..."

" _Yes_ ," Antonio insisted. "Look at us. A day, not even a full day, since he went over, and half of us are down, Ji's injured, and we can't leave the house. The wards have been down since last night. If he wanted us gone, we'd be gone."

"Right, I forgot about your extensive training," Kevin agreed sharply. "You don't know anything about what he's doing."

"I know he's brought half the team down without even trying. What are we at? Seven arrows and some fire?"

"Keep it down," Mia said firmly. "You'll wake the others."

Kevin waved her off, intent on Antonio. "So what's he going to do next, then, genius?"

"Next?" Antonio shrugged. "Taunt us."

"What?"

"He shot Ji right outside our walls and we didn't even know about it until he decided we should. Mike was right there and he couldn't do anything about it. Jayden's going to want to rub that in."

"Where are you getting this from?"

"He's right," Lauren said quietly.

"How can he poss..."

"Antonio's right," she said more loudly. "Jayden could be in here, and he's not. That means he's trying to demoralise and wear us down. That'll include taunting. No one goes outside until I say otherwise." Catching Kevin's look, she added, "Jayden and I got the same training; the only difference was in the sealing symbol. He knows everything I do, and this isn't a war. Antonio's right; he's playing, right now."

"But that's not Jayden. He doesn't do this."

"He _isn't_ Jayden," Antonio reminded him. "He's a Nighlok, and the sooner you realise that..."

"What's going on?" Emily asked.

"Em, shush, don't move," Mia said quickly, moving into her field of view. "Mike's asleep."

Emily obediently froze. "What's going on?" she repeated more quietly.

"Nothing. Sorry we woke you. Go back to sleep."

She shook her head, looking past them. "Why is everyone shouting?"

"Sorry, Em," Kevin said quietly. "We're just – thinking out loud, and I guess we got a bit heated. Don't worry about it."

"Emily," Antonio said quietly, easing to his feet, "did Mike talk to you?"

"Mike? About what?"

"About Jayden."

"Uh." She frowned. "No. He didn't really say anything; just kept asking about Ji. Why?"

Antonio pasted on a smile. "Just curious."

"Don't lie to her!" Kevin protested, standing.

"I'm not..."

"She's going to find out sooner or later, you don't..."

"She doesn't need to find out while she's this tired, Kevin..."

"Guys, stop it," Mia protested.

"What's going on?" Emily asked her, and she shrugged helplessly.

"Antonio," Lauren said firmly. The boys were in each others' faces by now and neither reacted; she grimaced, standing with an obvious effort, and pushed between them. "Stop it, both of you. This isn't helping anything."

" _He_ isn't helping anything," Kevin agreed, and Antonio snarled.

Mike stirred, blinking dazedly for a moment and winced when he tried to move. "What's going on?"

"The boys are being children," Mia said angrily. "Are you all right?"

"I'm...yeah, why? Ow." He stretched carefully, trying to ease out the kinks in his neck.

"Both of you _stop!_ " Lauren shoved Kevin back a step, turning on Antonio when he tried to follow. "Stop it! Kevin, Antonio's right. Antonio, Kevin has a point too. Now _stop_ it. Fighting like this is exactly what he wants."

"Lauren, sit down," Mia said. Antonio blinked; Lauren was very pale.

"Yeah," he agreed, relaxing with an effort. "Sit down. We'll behave." He just about managed to restrain himself from adding, "Well, I'll behave, anyway."

Emily shifted, sitting up, and Mike scooted along the floor to make room. Lauren sank onto the ottoman, rubbing her face for a moment.

"Mike," she said, lowering her hands and folding them neatly in her lap, "you said Jayden pulled the arrow out?"

"Yeah." Mike drew his knees up, leaning against Emily's legs.

"Can you tell us what happened, please?"

Mike recited it, everything Jayden had said and done, completely monotone. Halfway through Emily slid off the ottoman to sit next to him, both hands wrapped around his arm. Kevin sank onto another seat, elbows on knees and hands over his mouth. Antonio retreated to the back wall, head down as he listened.

Lauren sat perfectly straight, listening intently. "Thank you," she said when he was done. "You did exactly the right thing."

"Nothing?"

"You saved Ji's life. He'd have bled to death if you hadn't been there. We'll be more careful in future." She sat back a little, sighing. "This is all my fault."

"No it's not," Mia protested, and Antonio murmured something that was probably agreement.

"He fell to Nighlok because he felt like he didn't belong anywhere. That's my fault."

"No, it isn't," Mia said. "You asked him to stay. We asked him to stay. This is not your fault."

"Mia..."

" _No_. It's not your fault he fell, and it's not Antonio's fault he can figure out what Jayden's going to do, and it's not Kevin's fault he's trying to come up with a plan, and... Everyone needs to stop fighting! We're letting him win, we're not even trying! Just... if we don't..."

Emily stood, wrapping her arms around Mia, who shook helplessly in her arms. Mike rose to his feet with a groan, adding himself to the hug.

Antonio glanced at Kevin, one eyebrow up. Kevin nodded, wrapping both arms as far around Mia as he could; Antonio tapped Lauren's shoulder, and she turned to look at him as he held out a hand.

"Rangers together," he said to her look. Lauren smiled, a little tearful, and let him help her up so they could join the hug.

 

* * *

 

Kevin made all four of them go to bed. He promised faithfully that he would not argue with Antonio, that he'd come get them if anything changed in any way, and that he'd wake them anyway in a few hours. Lauren and Mia raised token objections, but Kevin poked Mike gently and made him sway violently, and they gave up.

He achieved the first goal by more or less ignoring Antonio, busying himself with pointless tidying and cleaning. Antonio made no effort to talk to him, either, spending most of his time in the recovery room with Ji.

He emerged after a couple of hours, stretching. Kevin was in the living room, working in his notebook.

"Want anything?" Antonio asked, gesturing to the kitchen when Kevin looked up.

"No. Thanks."

Antonio shrugged, turning away, and Kevin added "Any change?"

"Not yet." He vanished around the corner and Kevin went back to his work.

A minute later Antonio yelled his name from the kitchen. Kevin looked up, dropping his notebook and hurrying when he saw smoke pouring out.

Antonio was flailing, already almost overcome; Kevin got an arm around him, hauling him out. The kitchen was burning fiercely, and the screens to the dojo were starting to go up. Kevin sketched a quick symbol, soaking them.

"...rows..." Antonio spluttered.

"What?"

"It's the damn arrows!"

Lauren appeared, catching Antonio's eye briefly before joining Kevin to try and battle the fire down. It took them several minutes, and the others had woken; Emily brought Antonio a glass of water and a damp cloth to help him clean up.

Kevin and Lauren finally beat the fire down; Lauren strode into the smouldering kitchen, picking up a completely unharmed arrow and snapping it in half. The second one followed and she glanced at Kevin. "Did you bring in the others?"

"Yeah. I'll go get them."

She nodded, looking at Antonio. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm a little crisp around the edges," he said ruefully, holding up one hand to show her the burn along the side of his palm. "I'll live."

"Come on, I'll clean that for you," Emily offered, ushering him away.

Kevin came back, scowling. "They're gone."

"What?" Mia asked.

"I brought in five arrows. I put them all away together. And there's only one left."

Lauren held out a hand, snapping the arrow briskly when he gave it to her. "So there's another four around somewhere. Let's get searching."

 

* * *

 

Antonio found Lauren in the kitchen some time later, studying the burnt out rafters. "Think upstairs is safe?" he asked, picking his way across to her. The floor hadn't burnt, but it was covered in soot and mess.

"I'm not sure. What's above us?"

He tilted his head back, thinking. "Storage, I'm pretty sure. The bedrooms are on the other side."

"Well, let's try and avoiding having to test it if we can."

Antonio nodded, absently examining one of the barstools. "Can I ask you something, Lauren?"

"All right," she said warily.

"Oh, you can tell me to push off or whatever if you want. I'm just – I never asked Jayden, because we were kids, and when I came back it just would've been weird..."

"Antonio."

"Right. Sorry. I wanted to ask about your mother."

Lauren's face closed up. "What about her?"

"I thought she might be – maybe we could get Jayden to listen. He isn't listening to you, and he really isn't listening to Ji, even if we could get Ji to talk to him."

"Jayden never knew her."

"Oh." Antonio winced. "I'm sorry."

"Mmm." Lauren smiled tightly. "What was he like? When you were kids?"

"He was – serious. Seven, then, and already a Samurai. Always practising, always training." He smiled faintly. "I made it my mission to make him slack off; it made Ji angry, but it made Jayden smile, so it was worth it."

"Ji didn't like it?"

"Didn't like anything that took Jayden's focus away from training." He studied her for a moment. "Lauren – you know the way you were raised isn't normal, right?"

"It was important for us to..."

"Forget important," he interrupted her. "Forget right and wrong, too; I've had that discussion with Jayden. You know it wasn't normal?"

"Yes," she said slowly.

"So does Jayden; sort of. Ji secluded him after I left, he never saw anyone – that's why he's going after Ji now. He's angry. Nighlok rage, and he's focusing it on us, and Ji's the one he thinks has done the most wrong."

"Ji and me."

"Yeah," he agreed quietly. "Ji and you. But that's in his head, you know that. You haven't done anything wrong. You're following the plan, the same as he was, and you wanted him to stay."

"He cried when I left." Lauren smiled faintly, eyes very far away. "I don't remember much about living here; flashes, and moments – I remember the Christmas before I left, before the attack. I got a doll, and he got blocks; we spent hours building a house for my doll. He cried, when I left; we knew it was coming, but it was so sudden –" She blinked, focusing on him again. "I don't suppose he remembers that at all."

"I don't think so," Antonio agreed quietly.

She shrugged, and he could see her putting the memories away. "Can I ask you something, Antonio?"

"Sure."

"Mia said that Mike would push me. I haven't seen that at all."

"I think he's in shock." Antonio glanced at the door. "Emily tried to talk to him, about what he told us? And he shut her down. Said he doesn't remember that, he doesn't know what she's talking about, and then he walked away. Mike _never_ walks away from Emily."

"You know him better than I do. How can we help him?"

Antonio shrugged. "I know what's driving Jayden because I was there. Mike – that's more Mia's department." He thought for a moment. "If we could get him to work on the wards again..."

"We can't send him outside. No one can go outside."

"We'll have to eventually, Jayden just burned most of our food." He smiled grimly at her look. "There's shields, right? Jayden used one to keep us from hearing Ji; there must be one you could use to keep him from attacking."

"I can," she agreed slowly. "But – Antonio, the things Mike said Jayden was saying to him. About being useless, and no threat. If he's out there and sees Mike in a shield..."

"Don't worry about that. I'll make sure he isn't there when you're doing it."

"How will you do that?"

Antonio shrugged. "I'll go round the other side of the house and call him out."

"You think he'll come?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but – he's less angry with me than anyone. I was his friend when we were kids; I didn't throw him out and take his place; I went after him. He's still – I mean, he's not happy with me or anything – but I can hold his attention for a while."

"Yes. I suppose all of that's true," Lauren agreed softly.

"Hey." Antonio caught her eye. "You didn't take his place, Lauren."

"I kind of did."

"Not the way he thinks you did. Don't take this the wrong way either, but you can't possibly replace him. Not for us. You're a fantastic fighter and we're really glad you're here, but you're not him."

"I know. I'm glad that he had all of you; it must have made things a little easier for him." She smiled faintly. "The truth hurts, I guess, but thank you, Antonio. It means a lot that you told me."

"Well, thanks for not slapping me or anything. I know I'm not very diplomatic. What's wrong?" he added.

"The truth hurts," she murmured. "I have to do some research."

"Lauren?" Mia called from the dojo.

"In here. Mind where you step."

She slid the screen open, smiling tiredly at them. "Mentor's awake."


	3. The Vigil

Kevin stopped Antonio before he reached the recovery room. "Got a second?"

"Yeah, just..." Antonio leaned around him to see Ji sitting up, talking quietly to Emily. "Yeah," he repeated, turning back to Kevin. "What is it?"

"We need to eat something. I know," he added when Antonio made a face. "I don't much want to either, but we need it. What's the kitchen like?"

"We could probably manage if we had to. The cooker's not damaged, and neither is the fridge. Everything's filthy, though."

"What about food?"

"We have some. I'll see what I can come up with."

"I'll ask Emily to help you..."

"Nah. I'll manage. Let her sit with Ji, she's tired."

"Sure?"

"Yeah." He glanced back at Ji again before heading for the kitchen.

Lauren glanced up when Kevin came in. "All right?"

"Fine."

"Kevin," Ji said. "You all right?"

"I'm fine," he said again. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Ji said with a faint smile.

Antonio reappeared with a bowl of trail mix, a container of juice and a handful of cups. "Everyone dig in," he told them. "There's actual food on the way, but it'll take a little while. Hey, Mentor, how're you feeling?"

"I'm doing fine, Antonio. Thank you."

"Drink that," he ordered. Ji nodded, smiling faintly.

"Do you need a hand?" Lauren asked. "Mike, can you help him, please?"

"Yeah." Mike nodded. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Mentor."

"Mike," Ji called after him. "Thank you."

"Thank..."

"I don't remember much, but I am quite sure you saved my life. Thank you."

Mike smiled tightly. "You need help, Antonio?"

"Yeah." Antonio grinned quickly at Mentor before ushering Mike out.

Ji sighed, shifting slightly and wincing. "What has been happening?"

Lauren glanced at Kevin. "We had a little fire," she offered.

"Courtesy of Jayden," Kevin agreed. "In fact, I think we need to move you in a room, Mentor, into the dojo."

"Really?" Emily asked.

"Emily, I could get an arrow through those screens from the wall. I'd feel better if you were further inside."

"I agree," Lauren said. "Do you feel up to moving, Mentor?"

"Let's do it."

"It'll hurt," she said quietly.

"Yes," Ji agreed grimly. "I am ready."

 

* * *

 

Emily slipped into the kitchen where Antonio and Mike were working. "Hey, Em," Antonio said, semi-cheerfully. "What's up?"

"I'm just looking – there it is." She dug through a rack of herbs, holding up a tin thankfully.

"What is it?"

"Lavender." Antonio shrugged and she added, "Painkiller."

"Good thinking."

"Thanks."

"I'll do it," Mike offered. "Sit down, you're tired."

"Don't sit down," Antonio said quickly, "half the stools are broken, and the rest are covered in ash. I didn't bother cleaning them."

"Everything's covered in ash by now, I don't really care." Emily tested a couple of stools before sitting down. "Thanks, Mike. What's cooking? It smells good."

"Soup and jacket potatoes." Antonio shrugged. "Quick, easy, filling."

"Sounds great."

"Are you drinking the juice?" He wagged a spoon at her threateningly.

"I'm drinking the juice. Promise."

"Good, because you and Lauren used a lot of energy helping Ji."

"I'm drinking," she repeated, smiling.

He grinned, bringing her a sip of soup. "Good girl."

"Em, this is going to be a few minutes," Mike told her. "Kettle needs to boil. I'll bring it in."

"That's fine." She sniffed the tin, smiling. "Mmm. I love lavender."

"It's sure going to help it smell better in here," Antonio agreed. "We won't be long, Em."

"Thanks." She smiled, slipping through the screen into the dojo.

"How're the potatoes, Mike?" Antonio asked.

"Nearly ready." Mike shifted through one of the cupboards, pulling out plates and making a face. "Yuck."

"Ash gets everywhere," Antonio agreed. "They should clean off."

"Yeah. It's just gross." The kettle boiled and he turned, digging out a teapot and washing it out.

Antonio took the soup off the cooker, picking up a bowl and examining it. "I see a lot of cleaning in our future."

"Yeah," Mike said absently. The smell of the lavender was starting to circulate around the room.

"Smells good."

"Uh huh."

"Still got that tutu around? I thought I'd try it on later."

"Yeah, maybe." Mike blinked, turning to look at him. "What?"

"Oh, you are in there. I was wondering."

Mike made a face. "You're not funny."

"I'm hilarious, everyone tells me."

"They're laughing at you, Antonio."

"Yeah, maybe," he agreed easily. Mike glanced at him and he shrugged. "Sorry, would you rather I pretended you're upsetting me? Would that make you feel better? I can do that."

Mike shook his head. "No. Sorry. I didn't mean that."

"It's all right."

"It's not, I shouldn't..." Mike studied him for a moment. "How are you staying so calm?"

"Sorry? Did you not hear me yelling at Kevin earlier?"

"Kevin. I'm always yelling at him. That doesn't count. Seriously, Antonio."

"Seriously? I'm trying not to think about it any more than I have to. Right now I'm thinking about food."

"That doesn't work for very long, you know."

"It'll work long enough. Take the tea in, I'll finish this."

"Antonio..."

"Hey." He shrugged. "You deal your way, I deal mine. We're still standing."

"More or less."

"Standing's enough."

 

* * *

 

They all ate together, sitting in the living room; Mia and Lauren were sitting on the dojo steps, talking to Ji, trying to keep him awake long enough to eat something. Emily made sure to compliment both Antonio and Mike, but she didn't really remember what she'd eaten; it had been food.

Once they were all done Lauren rose to her feet. "Unless anyone has any other ideas, I think we need to start cleaning up."

"I agree. I'm not sure we can cook another meal in there." Antonio gathered the bowls together, stacking them to one side.

"Right. Emily and Mike, can you clear up in here? It's not too bad. Kevin, check the recovery room? And we'll take the kitchen."

"Sure," Emily agreed. "I'll get the supplies, Mike."

By the time she got back, Kevin had folded back the screen between the recovery room and the dojo. Lauren cracked the kitchen one as well, but they left it mostly closed; most of the dirt and mess was in there, and they didn't want it to spread.

They worked mostly in silence, partly to avoid disturbing Ji. Emily found her mind wandering as she worked; it was dull, repetitive work and it didn't hold her attention. And inevitably her mind spiralled back to their current problem.

_Jayden..._

The tightening in her throat took her by surprise. Swallowing hard against it, she stood carefully. "Mike, I'm just going upstairs for a second," she murmured.

"Don't go near the storerooms over the kitchen, we need to make sure they're safe," he said without looking at her.

"Mmm-hmm." She slipped out, taking the long way around to avoid going through the kitchen. She didn't dare go near Mia right now.

The rooms smelled of smoke, and there was ash even up here, but it was privacy, sort of. Emily slipped into her room and just stood, arms wrapped around herself as she struggled to keep her grip. She couldn't afford to break down now; not with everything that was going on. It was just going to have to wait.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been there when something creaked outside. She turned to see Mike, frozen in the act of turning away. "Mike..." Her voice caught and she touched her cheek.

It was wet.

"I didn't..." Mike looked at her, and away, unable to settle. "You were gone a while, Kevin got worried. I didn't mean to..." He gestured vaguely.

"No," she agreed numbly, rubbing her cheeks again.

"I..." Mike took a step towards her, rocked away; he couldn't seem to decide what to do. "Shit. Em, tell me what's... I can go, or... do you want Mia?"

"Don't go."

"Thank god," he muttered, taking a hesitant step towards her. "How can – please don't cry, Em."

"I'm trying not to," she said, voice wobbling. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't be..."

"No, no, I didn't mean... if you need to cry, go ahead. That's not what I meant." Making a face, he added, "I'm terrible at this. Are you sure you don't want Mia?"

"No." Emily shook her head quickly. "Not Mia."

"Tell me what to do, then."

She rubbed a hand over her face fretfully. "I didn't want you to see..."

"I can still go," he said softly.

"No!"

She wasn't sure which of them stepped forward. One of them must have, because the next thing she knew they were on the floor in an awkward heap and his arms were around her, and they were rocking quietly as she wept.

Someone else must have come past, she realised later. They'd been gone a long time now, and if Kevin was worried enough to send Mike after her he was worried enough to send someone else after them both. But if anyone came past she didn't hear them, and Mike didn't react in any way she noticed.

She stopped crying, after a while. Mike didn't let go, just kept rocking gently while she shuddered through the aftershocks, trying to calm her breathing and regain some control. He held on until she shifted position; then he let go, leaning back enough to be able to see her.

"Better?" he murmured.

"Yes. Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Be Emily." He ducked his head to catch her eye. "I mean it, if you need to come up here and – whatever – then do that. We all have to get through."

Emily touched his cheek lightly, heartened when he didn't pull away. "How are you getting through?"

He smiled faintly. "More or less. Are you ready to go back downstairs?"

"No." She climbed to her feet, holding out a hand to help him up. "Let's go."

 

* * *

 

Lauren glanced up to acknowledge Mike and Emily when they came back in, turning her attention back to the others. "Any objections?"

"Sounds fine to me," Kevin said. He was carefully not noticing the other two and she wondered what had happened there.

"What's this?" Mike asked, waving Emily to the last free stool.

"You, me and Emily are going to get some rest," Lauren told him. "Emily and I used a lot of energy today, and it makes sense to rest in threes. The dojo's clean, we're just all going to camp together."

"Sounds good to me," Emily agreed, and Lauren watched as Mike changed his mind; he'd been about to complain, but now he was nodding along with Emily. "What are you guys going to do?" she added, looking at the others.

"There’s more work to do in the kitchen," Mia said with a sigh.

"Call me Mr. Clean," Antonio added.

"Yeah, like that's likely," Kevin muttered. Lauren tensed, but Antonio was grinning; Kevin must be joking. "Well, before you wear yourself out with all that cleaning, help me grab the camping mattresses."

Antonio trailed him to the closet. "Why do they have camping mattresses anyway? I doubt Ji took Jayden camping very often."

"You'd be surprised." Lauren followed them, accepting an armload of blankets from Kevin. "I used to camp out. I didn't get mattresses, though. At least, not for years."

"You camped out?" Emily asked.

"Well, yeah. Survival training, just in case we ever got cut off from base."

Kevin dug out the mattresses, heading for the dojo, and Emily went with him to help.

"This wasn't the fun kind of camping, was it," Antonio said with a sigh, still rummaging.

"Are there different kinds of camping?" Lauren asked carefully.

"Did you get marshmallows?"

"Marsh– no."

"Then yeah, there's different kinds. I'll show you sometime."

"Thank you."

He grinned, piling more blankets into her arms. “I think that's enough."

"I think it probably is," she agreed. "Unless Jayden's learned how to freeze things..."

"Don't even joke about that," he warned her.

"Jayden hasn't learned how to freeze things," she promised. "The Shiba power lies in fire. Freezing is too far from home."

"If you say so," Antonio agreed. "Come on, let's get you set up."

She wasn't sure how deeply any of them slept. She only dozed, rousing every so often to look around and make sure everything was all right. Mia and Antonio were moving around in the kitchen and Kevin had settled in the living room; he looked up every time she did, catching her eye and smiling reassuringly.

The four or fifth time she woke, the room was filling with thick black smoke. Coughing, she rolled over, flailing in the gloom until she hit Mike's shoulder. His startled yell trailed into coughs and a moment later Emily's voice rose, tired and confused.

Mia yelled from the living room and the smoke thinned slightly; Lauren glanced around to see Mike crouched by Emily's head. Mia joined them, kneeling to stay under the smoke.

"There’s no fire," she told them, coughing into her hand. "It's just smoke."

"Another present from my brother?" Lauren asked rhetorically. "Where are Antonio and Kevin?"

"Trying to find the arrow."

"What do we do?" Mike asked, waving away the smoke.

"Get Ji out..." Lauren faltered. "We can't get Ji outside. Mia, you stay here, keep the room as clear as you can, ok? Close the screens behind us."

"Emily!" Mike said suddenly. Lauren caught his arm as he tried to follow her into the kitchen; a moment later Emily was back, holding damp cloths.

"They're kind of ashy still, but better than nothing," she said, passing them around.

"Thanks, Emily." Lauren fastened hers on. They were very ashy, but they cut the smoke a little. "Let's go. Stay close."

 

* * *

 

It was much harder than fighting the fire. The cloths helped, but all three were coughing within minutes– oddly helpful, since without the sounds Lauren wouldn't have been able to tell where anyone was. Outside Mia's influence the smoke was thick and blinding, and she soon lost track of where she was in the house. She still didn't know it that well, after all, and the smoke forced them to stay on their hands and knees.

"Lauren!" Mike caught her shoulder, leaning in to speak directly into her ear. "This isn't working!"

"What else can we do?"

"There's got to be a 'stop' symbol, or 'cancel', right?"

"Yes, but it needs to be cast near the arrow to have any effect."

He gestured around them. "Maybe we are!"

Lauren considered for a moment before nodding. "Give me your hand."

She held his hand up, tracing the symbol two or three times. "Got it?"

"Got it."

"Cast it."

It didn't have any effect, but she nodded. "Good; great idea, Mike. Show it to Emily and _stay with her,_ understand?"

He squeezed her arm before turning away. She took a breath, trying not to choke on the smoke, and turned away to keep going.

It took another twenty minutes – twenty minutes that felt like hours – but eventually the smoke began to clear. Lauren took a moment to breathe relatively clear air before following the smoke to the recovery room.

Mike was eyeing an arrow lying innocently on the bookcase. "That wasn't here earlier, right?"

"No. Did you touch it?"

"No."

"Where's Emily?"

Mike jerked a thumb at the second door. "Checking on Mia and Mentor."

"And the others?"

"Haven't seen them – you want the honours, or can I do it?"

"Feel free."

Mike snapped the arrow into three pieces, passing them over to her. Lauren concentrated for a moment and they flared to ash in her hand.

"Right." She sighed, pushing her hair back. "Let's find the others, fast. No more splitting up; we're staying together."

"Won't get an argument from me," Mike murmured, following her back towards the dojo.


	4. The Promise

Breakfast was quiet and subdued. Everyone had gotten some sleep, mostly thanks to Kevin keeping track of them, but no one had gotten enough and they were tired and grumpy.

At least Ji seemed to be doing better; he woke briefly, ate something and went back to sleep.

Lauren waited until everyone had finished to speak. "We need to do some things this morning."

"Like what?" Mike asked.

"Like you and I are going out to finish fixing the wards, and Kevin and Mia are going into town; we need supplies."

"You can't go out," Emily protested. Mike didn't object out loud, but he was holding her hand tightly. "Jayden's out there."

Antonio stirred. "That's my department."

"What?"

"I'm going to distract him while you guys do your thing."

"Antonio, that's really dangerous," Kevin warned him.

"Yeah, well, danger's my middle name."

"Antonio," Mia protested.

"Someone has to. We need the wards back up, and we have to get supplies."

"Someone else can distract Jayden," Kevin tried.

"Not like I can."

Emily squeezed Mike's hand and he looked down at her, startled. "You ok?" she murmured.

"Yeah. Fine. Lauren, I thought you couldn't do the wards."

"I'm not doing them; you are. I'll be busy shielding you."

"On my own?"

She nodded quickly. "You're strong enough, and I know you know the symbols. You were right, your forest power works very well; it's making them stronger. There's only one section left to do."

"I can do it," Emily offered.

"I want you to stay with Ji. His arm will need more treatment, and if he wakes up he'll need to eat and drink something."

"I'll get you the last of the trail mix and juice," Antonio said, gathering up the empty bowls and heading for the kitchen. Mia trailed him; when they came back they were discussing a short list she was carrying.

"...and lots of juice, ok?"

"Got it," she agreed, folding up the list and putting it away in a pocket.

"Antonio, you don't have to do this," Kevin told him. "We can find another way."

"I know." He glanced at Lauren. "Give me five, and then you guys get going, all right?"

"He's going to know," she warned him. "Ward magic's distinctive, he'll know when we start."

"Yeah, I know." He smiled, pulling open the door and heading out.

Antonio left the gate open, randomly turning right to pick his way around the outside of the fence. Mentor and Mike had been attacked on the other side of the gate, but Antonio was fairly sure Jayden would find him wherever he was.

When he reached the far side of the house he paused, turning in a circle. "Come out, come out, wherever you are...” He paused. “Jayden!"

Nothing. Scowling, he picked a direction at random and walked half a dozen paces. "Jayden! I know you can hear me!"

Still no answer, but he could hear something; movement, up ahead. Frowning, he picked his way through the trees to a small clearing. Glancing back, he noted that they were still within sight of the walls around the house; Jayden would have a fair idea what was going on from here.

He watched for a moment as Jayden practised, movements smooth and assured. He had to know Antonio was there, he always knew, but he wasn't reacting. Eventually Antonio stepped forward; Jayden whipped around, sword hovering inches from his heart.

"Careful," he said cheerfully. "I almost hit you."

"What are you doing, Jayden?" Antonio pushed the blade away, but he didn't step back.

"Practising. What does it look like?"

"You know what I mean."

Jayden shrugged, throwing his arms wide. "I'm enjoying my freedom. First time in my life there's no one trying to tell me what to do." Eyes narrowing, he added, "You're not here to tell me what to do, are you, Antonio?"

"When have I ever told you what to do, Jayden?"

Jayden considered him for a moment before turning abruptly away, flowing back into his practise pattern. "Then why are you here?"

Antonio snatched a breath. Jayden's attention was unnerving when it was fully on him. "I'm here to find out how we can end this."

"End it? Why would I want to end it? I'm having more fun than I've had in – ever."

"You nearly killed Ji."

"Crying on the inside," Jayden assured him.

"And your friends..."

"I don't have friends, Antonio."

Antonio took another breath. "You have me."

Jayden considered him without answering and Antonio pushed, "You know me, Jayden. You know I've only ever wanted to be at your side. Everything I've ever done was for that."

"You're not at my side now," Jayden pointed out. "You wanted to belong and you have that, with _them_."

"Jayden..."

"I'll tell you what, Antonio." Jayden dropped his sword, point down, into the ground at his feet. "There is something you can do, that will keep them safe. I'll never go near them again. They can save Ji and Lauren can be the Red Ranger and I'll go far, far away and never bother any of them. I'll give you my word on that."

"And what'll it cost me?"

"Come with me." Jayden paced towards him; Antonio didn't realise he was retreating until he hit a tree hard enough to leave him breathless. "Fall to Nighlok. You and me, forever."

"No," Antonio said, stunned.

"It's easy, you know. It doesn't hurt. And things are much clearer on this side."

"You think that," he agreed, "but all you're doing is lashing out, Jayden. You had a crappy childhood; so did Lauren, and she hasn't Fallen."

" _Lauren_ has _my team_ fawning all over her," Jayden spat.

"I had a crappy childhood, and I haven't Fallen."

"Yet." He glanced past Antonio, adding in a stage whisper, "I wonder what that strange feeling coming from the House is? Someone pulling at the wards... Maybe I should go over there and look?"

"Jayden," Antonio protested.

"Or we could both leave. It's easy, Antonio. It really is."

"Of course it is," Antonio agreed softly. "That's what makes it attractive. It's easier than facing up to things, isn't it?"

Jayden scowled, and then grinned suddenly. "Is that Mike at the wards? Really, Antonio? You are trying to keep me out, aren't you?"

"Mike can do it." Antonio risked closing his eyes briefly; trying to keep up with Jayden's mood was exhausting him, and nothing had even happened yet. "You know that; he's strong, when he believes he is."

"Shame he's so easy to unsettle," Jayden agreed lightly, wandering back into the clearing. He pulled his sword from the ground, considering it for a moment before turning to Antonio. "Defend yourself."

"What?" Antonio said blankly.

"Defend. Yourself," he repeated, deliberately slowly, advancing on Antonio.

"I'm not going to fight you..."

"Oh." Jayden stopped, and for a heartbeat he actually looked disappointed before shaking it off. "Well, maybe I'll go find someone who will fight me. Hey, what about Mike? Think Mike would fight me?" He grinned brightly, waiting patiently while it sank in for Antonio.

Antonio pushed shakily away from the tree, summoning his Barracuda Blade. "Jayden..."

"I like sparring," Jayden said over him. "It's always so entertaining. I like being entertained." And he smiled brightly.

It wasn't much of a fight. On a good day, Antonio could give Jayden a run for his money, though it was rare for him to win. Today, on little sleep, a lot of upheaval, and confused and upset, it was much closer to a rout. He kept going, letting Jayden steer him all over the clearing, enduring the multiple tiny slashes he was receiving; Jayden could have taken him down at any time, but he was playing.

Jayden stopped abruptly, studying him. "What's wrong with you?"

"What?" Antonio blinked sweat out of his eyes.

Jayden was suddenly right there, one hand on Antonio's cheek; he froze, standing motionless as Jayden inspected him carefully.

"You're tired," Jayden said, as though surprised.

"Been a long day," Antonio managed. He still wasn't moving; he let his eyes drift closed, allowing himself to pretend for just one moment.

Jayden gently lifted the Barracuda Blade away; Antonio didn't protest. "It's so much easier here. Look at me; am I tired?" After a moment his voice hardened. "Look at me, Antonio."

Antonio obeyed, and Jayden smiled gently at him. "We could have forever, you know. Just you and me. Anything you want; just ask it. I'll follow you. I swear it. Come with me."

"I can't," Antonio breathed. He was swaying, suddenly dizzy, and if Jayden hadn't caught him he'd have fallen.

Jayden eased them both to their knees. "Antonio," he whispered. "Please."

Antonio shook his head, refusing to look up. He knew his limits, and he knew what looking at Jayden right now would do to him. "I can't do it, Jayden."

Jayden's hand skimmed across his forehead. "OK." He let go, carefully backing away a step, waiting until he was sure Antonio was steady enough to be left. "Not yet."

"Yet?" Antonio repeated vaguely.

"You're not ready yet. But you will be. You'll come with me."

"No."

Jayden laughed softly. "We'll see. Keep your wards; a gift from me, to show you I can keep my word. Call me when you're ready, Antonio. I'll be here."

He left the Barracuda Blade behind as he walked away.

For a long time the only move Antonio made was to slide off his knees to sit huddled on the ground.

He felt the wards slide back together. Distantly, he realised that he should go back to the House; Lauren or Mike might come looking for him, and they were the worst people to face Jayden.

It took everything in him to stand.

He almost overbalanced when he bent down for his Blade; he had to drop to one knee to keep from falling, and it was a long moment before he could stand. Walking back to the House took forever.

He didn't register Mike until he'd already walked past him. Mike was talking, unsure and vaguely scared, but Antonio couldn't figure out how to answer him, couldn't even parse the questions.

Emily was harder to overlook but no easier to understand. She was worried about the cuts Jayden had left him with, he gathered; he shrugged out of her grip, and then kept doing it until she stopped reaching for him.

He reached the dojo, pressed his back against the wall and sank down to sit on the floor. Drawing up his knees, he let his hands dangle between them; from here he could hear Ji breathe and he focused on the rhythmic sound, matching it, using it as an anchor. As long as he was concentrating on that, the noise in his head was blocked; he couldn't hear Jayden whispering 'Please' and meaning it.

Someone touched his hand and he refocused. Lauren was kneeling in front of him; Mia was behind her, watching carefully.

"Antonio."

He looked back at Lauren, blinking.

"You don't have to talk to us," she said softly, and he closed his eyes in relief. "Listen to me. Are you hurt worse than this?"

She was touching his arm, gently tracing one of the cuts. Antonio shook his head without looking down.

"Good. Can you look at me?"

_Look at me, Antonio._

He shuddered, eyes snapping open, already moving to push her away. Lauren let him do it, waiting until he focused on her again to move.

"Sorry," she murmured. "You're cold; lean forward."

She wrapped a blanket around him, gave him a gel cap and a cup of juice, and left him there. She took Mia with her when she left, and Antonio thought hazily that he could grow to like Lauren Shiba very much.

Then he went back to matching Ji's breathing.

 

* * *

 

Kevin was pacing across the back of the living room. Mike looked like he wanted to be pacing, but Emily was leaning against him and he clearly wasn't prepared to move her. "Well?" he demanded as Lauren sat.

"I think he's just completely exhausted. Whatever happened out there, it took everything he has."

"Do we know what happened?" Kevin asked.

Lauren shook her head. "He isn't talking right now. Let him rest a bit." she glanced over, nodding in satisfaction. "Give that gel cap a chance to work, and we'll talk to him then."

"Well, we know it worked, right?" Mike pointed out. "I mean, the wards're up. Jayden never came near us."

"It worked," Lauren agreed.

Emily glanced over at the silent dojo. "I hope it didn't cost him too much."

 

* * *

 

Lauren was scanning through a book of symbols, looking for the one she needed, when Antonio sat down beside her. She studied him briefly; he was still too pale, but he was focusing, and if he was seeking them out he had to be feeling better. Across the table Mia was sitting very still, as though worried about scaring him off.

Lauren looked back at her book. "How are you feeling?"

"What are you looking for?"

"The symbol we need to end this."

"Think we can end it on symbol power?"

"I'm hoping." She lowered the book, studying him more openly. "What happened, Antonio?"

"I can definitely get his attention whenever you want it."

"Good. Why?"

His face crumpled and he looked away, playing with his glass. "He's lonely," he said after a minute. "He wants me to join him. He'll come when I call him."

"He wants you to join him?" Mia repeated.

Antonio shrugged, looking back at Lauren. "You have a plan?"

"Yes. It needs some work, but I have the basics."

He tugged another of the books over. "What are you looking for?"

"Antonio..."

"Something to think about. What are you looking for?"

 

* * *

 

It took them a while, but finally Lauren was satisfied with the plan. She pulled a meal together and made everyone eat; they were completely off schedule, but there was little chance of them eating too much at the moment.

Once they were finished she carefully explained the plan and everyone's part in it.

"You can't send Emily out there," Mike started as soon as she finished.

"Mike, it's fine," Emily said over him. "I can do it."

"This isn't some random Nighlok, it's _Jayden._ "

"I know. I can do it."

"She has the best chance," Antonio said quietly. "And we only need a few minutes."

"After what he did to us? You want to send her out there?"

Antonio shook his head, looking away, and Lauren said briskly, "Everyone has their part in this. Emily? Kevin, what do you think?"

"It's not exactly what it was designed for."

"I know. Do you think it'll work?"

Kevin nodded. "Yeah. I think so. You know we only have one chance. If this doesn't work, he's gone."

"I know," Lauren agreed quietly. "Are we ready?"

Kevin glanced around at the others, nodding. "Yeah. I think we're about as ready as we'll ever be."

"I'll go get my flute," Emily said, rising to her feet. "I'll just be a second."

Antonio followed her, waiting in the corridor while she found the flute. "I'm sorry," he murmured when she rejoined him.

"What for?" she asked in surprise.

"I should be going to talk to him..."

"Antonio, it's fine."

"It's _not_ fine, I just..." He turned away, fisting his hands, and she frowned.

"Antonio?"

"He wants me to join him," he told the wall, not daring to turn around to face her. "Fall and be Nighlok, him and me forever, and I can't... there's nothing, nothing I want more than to say yes to him, and I can't do it. And I don't know how long I can say no."

Emily was quiet; eventually he turned back to face her, leaning against the wall. "He thinks I ditched him for the team. He's lonely, Em, and he wants..." He shook his head, looking away.

Emily touched his shoulder, smiling gently when he looked at her. "He's coming back. This is going to work."

 

* * *

 

The sun was setting as Emily settled in the yard. The wards were unraveling; she could feel them slipping away as Mike and Lauren systematically took them down. She took a deep breath, lifting her flute and beginning to play.

It took a while. Even after the wards fell there was nothing for a long time. Emily kept playing, watching the shadows stretch across the yard.

"Missed a note."

It made her jump, and she really did miss a note before she could catch herself. Taking a breath, she started over, glancing up to see Jayden leaning against the gate. Not quite inside, not yet.

Finishing the piece, she lowered her flute with a flourish. "Better?"

"What?"

"You said I missed a note the first time. Did I get it that time?" She smiled. "It's good to know how I sound to other people. I've missed that the last couple of days."

"Missed what?"

"The others don't tell me if I make mistakes, they just tell me it sounded fine. You care enough to help me get better. Thank you, Jayden."

He sneered. "I wouldn't play that to your sister if you want her to get better."

"I'll practise some more, then." She lifted the flute again, watching him carefully.

Jayden was staring at her, completely bemused. And – _yes_ – stepping inside, coming inside the wards. "What are you doing?"

She lowered the flute again. "Practising. You said I should."

"Out here? At night? With the wards down? What are you planning, Emily?"

"I'm just practising." She studied him for a moment. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he snapped.

"For whatever we did – or didn't do – to make you think you weren't wanted. It's not true. We always wanted you. We love you no matter who else is here, no matter what's going on."

The wards snapped back up. Kevin appeared from around the side of the house, bow already drawn; Jayden had time to turn before the rain was hitting him, drenching him to the skin.

Emily automatically slid her flute into a pocket, rising to her feet. "Jayden?"

"What the hell are..."

He swayed when he turned on her, and for the first time in days the Nighlok rage was gone from his eyes. He was still angry, but this was pure human anger, nothing more. "Jayden," she said again, reaching for him.

"Get away from me!" He pushed out at her, not actually touching her, stumbling towards the gate.

"You can't get out," she reminded him, following more slowly. "The wards went back up, and you can't pass through."

"Let me out!"

"What, and miss this chance for a talk?" Mike asked, coming from the front door and pacing towards them. He brushed Emily's shoulder as he passed but didn't look at her, focused on Jayden. "What's wrong, Jayden?"

Jayden shook his head, droplets of water flying everywhere. "This isn't – don't come near me!"

"Why not?" Mike halted just out of his reach.

Jayden swallowed, but he didn't have a chance to answer before Antonio came to join them. "What's wrong, Jayden?" he asked, more gently than Mike had.

"This..." Jayden lifted one hand, staring at it. "What is this?" he breathed. "What have you done?"

"Water from the swordfish zord. It's blocking all that Nighlok rage." Antonio carefully stepped into his reach. "Jayden..."

"I can't..." Fear and horror were quickly overwhelming anger. "Antonio..."

"Yes, yes you can," he said quickly. "Jayden, look at me. We can fix this, we can."

"You can't come back. I can't come back, Antonio."

"You _can_. We know how to do it. Just close your eyes, hold on, and let us do it. Please." Lowering his voice so only Jayden could hear, he added, "Anything I want; you promised."

Jayden's eyes snapped to his, wide and terrified. Moving slowly, Antonio pulled him into a hug, gently pushing until Jayden buried his face in Antonio's shoulder. Antonio held on as Lauren's magic wrapped around them, the combinations they'd carefully put together; _resist_ and _human_ and _real_ and _true_ and half a dozen others, all designed to bring Jayden back to human.

It was Antonio, this time, who brought them to their knees, Antonio who whispered quiet words as Jayden shook in his arms, human once again.


	5. The Future

They sat in the yard for a long time.

Emily tried to join them, but Jayden flinched at her voice and tried to get away from her touch, scrabbling weakly against Antonio's hold. Antonio shushed him, waving Emily away, soothing him back to silence.

The others left them alone after that, though they kept watching; Mike sat cross-legged on the bench, close enough to help if necessary, far enough away to keep from spooking Jayden. As the night wore on, Kevin brought out blankets and juice, and Antonio coaxed as much into Jayden as he could before they settled down together. Antonio was just as happy not to go inside. Jayden wasn't in any shape to face Ji or the damage from the fire.

He woke when Jayden moved the next morning. Antonio opened his eyes, careful to stay otherwise still as he surveyed the yard over Jayden's shoulder. Emily was sitting next to them, ostensibly staring at the sky and not paying them any attention.

"Morning, Jayden."

"M– morning," he said shakily.

"You're an idiot, you know."

Jayden flinched, hard enough that Antonio could feel it, but he didn't argue.

"You're not interchangeable, you and Lauren. We wanted you. Not just a Shiba Red."

"It was safer..." Jayden started.

"No it wasn't," Emily said over him. "You were just being stupid, thinking we'd forget you. Thinking we _wanted_ to forget you."

She wrapped her arms around him quickly enough that he couldn't avoid her; that put her arms between them, but Antonio could still feel Jayden tense. He didn't fight back, though, and after a minute he melted into her. Antonio sat up, resting a hand on Jayden's back.

"You're still an idiot," Emily murmured into Jayden's shoulder. Antonio caught her eye, smiling faintly.

Jayden tensed again and Emily turned, watching as Lauren came towards them. She paused well out of their reach, watching hesitantly. "Are..."

Jayden scrambled to his feet, almost tripping over Antonio, but once he was standing he didn't seem to know what to do. "Lauren, I..."

She took the decision out of his hands, stepping forward to hug him. Antonio stood quickly, watching, but while Jayden was tense he wasn't backing away.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured.

"I'm so sorry," Lauren echoed. "I wanted you to stay. Everyone wanted you to stay. You know that, don't you?"

Jayden twisted so he could see Antonio. "I'm starting to get the idea."

"Good." She pulled out of his arms, smacking him; he took it without flinching, though he was frowning. "Don't ever do anything like that again," she warned him; her tone was light, but her eyes were dark and very serious.

Jayden bowed his head. "No ma'am."

She grinned, eyes bright. "All right. Breakfast's ready; are you coming in or are we coming out?"

"You're coming out," Antonio said before Jayden could answer. "It's a beautiful morning," he added to her look.

"How's Ji?" Emily asked.

Jayden paled, turning away; Lauren watched him as she told Emily, "He's doing much better. Sitting up and complaining. He'll be out of bed pretty soon."

Antonio nudged Jayden. "Come on. Let's get set up for breakfast, ok?"

Breakfast was awkward and uncomfortable for everyone. Jayden and Lauren sat on the bench by the front door, talking quietly; Emily went to join them, but Antonio caught her arm. "Don't."

"Shouldn't we sit with him? So he knows we're not angry?"

"They don't want anyone else just now. Besides..." He glanced at the table. "If we go sit there, it'll look like us who've forgiven him against the others, and we don't want anyone thinking like that." Letting her go, he raised his voice to add "Seconds, Mike?"

Jayden waited until everyone had finished eating to stand; Lauren was at his shoulder. "I want to apologise," he started.

Mike carefully put down his plate, pushed to his feet and walked into the House. Jayden watched him go, carefully expressionless.

Emily started to stand and then hesitated, looking at Lauren, who waved her off. She slipped inside after Mike.

Jayden watched until the door closed before turning back to Kevin and Mia. "I know an apology can't make up for..." He gestured helplessly. "Everything... but I would like to try and earn your trust back. Whatever it takes."

"Whatever it takes?" Kevin repeated.

"Anything."

"For starters, you don't touch a weapon in this house. Not your spin sword, not your practise sword, not your bow, not a kitchen knife. Nothing, Jayden."

"I understand," Jayden agreed quickly.

"Good. That's a start." He picked up his plate, following the others inside.

Jayden turned to Mia, who shook her head. "Sorry, Jayden, I need a little time."

"All right," he agreed quietly, watching her leave. Grimacing, he looked at the others. "That could have gone better."

"Could have gone worse," Antonio said philosophically.

"Could it?"

"Well, no one threw anything at you?"

"Jayden," Lauren said quietly, "you should come talk to Ji."

"Yeah," Jayden said on a sigh. "Yeah. Let's go."

Ji was awake, talking to Kevin. Jayden hesitated in the doorway, but Kevin stepped away, leaning against the wall to watch them.

"Ji," Jayden murmured, taking a step forward. Lauren paced him, watching carefully. Jayden had been holding up so far, but through all the attacks the worst of his rage had been focused on Ji, and she wasn't sure what to expect now.

"Jayden," Ji replied.

"I'm so sorr..."

"It's in the past," Ji said over him, holding out his good hand. Jayden took it, smiling at him. "Let's leave it there. The important thing now is to get back to normal."

Lauren stepped past Jayden, examining Ji's arm. "Back to normal?" she asked neutrally. Jayden was tense beside her.

"Yes. I think it's important to return to the routine we're all familiar with."

Lauren drew the healing symbol; Jayden watched without comment. "The routine we're all familiar with," she murmured.

"Training," Jayden said under his breath. She glanced briefly at him, catching the flare of anger in his eyes. Kevin must have seen it or sensed it as well, judging by the way he pushed off the wall to stand at the head of Ji's bed, but if Ji saw it he gave no sign.

"Jayden can't train right now," Lauren said briskly. "Kevin has made him promise not to touch a weapon. Besides, there's work to do here in the House. Is that better?"

Ji frowned, glancing at his arm. "Better, yes. Jayden..."

"Besides," Lauren said over him. "Master Xandred is sealed away, and his forces went with him. There's nothing to fight. We don't need to train right now. Jayden, come on." She was being rude and she knew it, but she needed to get Jayden out of there.

Jayden followed her gratefully, pausing in the corridor outside. "You all right?" Lauren asked, watching him.

"I'm angry." He held up one hand, watching it shake. "Why am... that was Nighlok anger."

"It was _anger_. You just weren't suppressing it as a Nighlok, and now that it's out... Breathe," she added sharply.

Jayden dropped his head, drawing in shaky breaths.

"Breathe," she said again, more gently. "We'll deal with this. Just calm, ok?"

"I can't... how can I be angry at Ji, Lauren?"

Lauren glanced around at a sound; Kevin was at the other end of the corridor, watching them. "Can you find Antonio, please?"

"Yeah." He watched for a moment more before turning away.

 

* * *

 

Antonio took one look at Jayden and hustled him into the kitchen, ignoring his half hearted protests and forcing a cup of juice into his hands. "Drink that and then talk," he ordered, dragging over enough chairs for all of them. Jayden sipped at the juice, obediently silent.

"Right," Antonio said after a minute. "Lauren?"

"Jayden talked to Ji."

"Oh?"

"I'm angry," Jayden murmured. "Why am... I want him to _hurt_ , Antonio."

Antonio bit back his first answer. "You've been angry at him for days."

"Nighlok anger! That's not me!"

"It's just anger. You felt it more as a Nighlok, but it's all just anger, Jayden. Drink up."

"That's what Lauren said," he muttered, taking another sip of juice.

"Lauren's very smart." Antonio sat, watching him. "You're angry because of the way Ji raised you. You know that; part of you does, at least."

"I can't be angry with Ji," Jayden said weakly. "He was following the plan..."

"Letting you occasionally meet new people or do something other than training wasn't going to derail the plan," Antonio pointed out. Catching Lauren's look, he added, "Your mentor was just as bad, so don't start. You two were children, and you were children who'd just been through a war, and Jayden, at least, saw your father fall. Treating you like children instead of weapons would have gone a long way."

"We had duties," Jayden told him. "Destinies. Shiba House must always be ready to fight. We had to learn."

"Destiny," Antonio said thoughtfully. "Jayden, do you think this was my destiny?"

"What?"

"This. Here. Samurai. Is this my destiny? Was I always going to end up here?"

"No," Jayden said warily, clearly not sure where Antonio was going. "You worked hard for this."

"So I changed my destiny?"

Jayden shook his head. "We're needed."

"Yes, you are. Between you two you saved the world; I'm not arguing that."

"I don't know what you're saying," Jayden told him.

Antonio glanced at his glass, standing to retrieve the juice and refill him. "I'm saying that you have a right to be angry with Ji. He never treated you as a child, not from the moment your father fell, and that's not right. You were five years old. The problem we have now is how to deal with that anger."

"I don't want to be angry at him."

"I don't think you have a choice. Anger's not something you turn on and off; you have to learn how to handle it. And you never have because you never accepted that you were angry at him." He glanced briefly over Jayden's shoulder before continuing, "Tell me something, Jayden; after I left, did you ever leave this house?"

"I trained with the monks, sometimes."

"Did you ever meet anyone else?"

"No."

"I know you never met anyone," he added to Lauren. "Everything you ever did was aimed at taking down Xandred. Have either of you thought about what to do now? Jayden, did you ever think about what to do once Lauren came back?"

"I... thought that I could stay and help."

"And after Xandred?" Jayden shook his head helplessly, and Antonio nodded. "You didn't think about after Xandred, because Ji never thought about after Xandred. He only ever thought about the war, he only ever talked about the war. You walked out of here when Lauren arrived, and you had no idea where to go or what to do. And Deker was there. And you were drowning, Jayden. We should have gone with you, or not let you leave..."

"I didn't want you."

"Yeah, well, you're stupid," Antonio said cheerfully, grinning at his look. "You're allowed to be angry, Jayden. It's not a fault or a failing. You just need to be careful what you do with that anger."

Jayden nodded, leaning back to look up at the ceiling. They'd strung plastic sheets under the rafters to protect them, but the damage was still visible. "So I see."

"I need to borrow Lauren for a minute. We'll be right back, ok?"

"Ok."

Antonio ushered Lauren out, smiling as they passed Mia in the doorway, and tugged Lauren out to the living room.

"Jayden?"

Jayden scrambled to his feet, turning. "Mia. I didn't realise you were there, I'm sorry."

"I thought you hadn't." She came in, taking Lauren's abandoned chair. "I'm angry at you."

"I know, and I'm sorr..."

"No," she cut him off. "Not the things you did. Those are bad, but you were a Nighlok; we don't expect mercy or compassion from them. I'm angry at _you._ You made a choice to Fall, and I didn't understand how you could possibly – after training for so long, how could you do that? It was a betrayal of everything we ever did, Jayden."

"I..."

"I'm not finished," she said gently. Eying him, she added in a different tone, "Relax. I'm not looking for penance. I just need you to listen."

"I'm listening," he agreed, but he didn't relax, still tense against whatever he was expecting from her.

"I think I understand a little better now. Antonio's good at that."

"Anton... you were listening." He shook his head. "Antonio's wrong. I don't resent any of it."

"I know you don't. Or, you tell yourself you don't, and maybe it's true; maybe you really don't see..." She studied him for a moment before smiling. "You made Kevin a promise earlier, Jayden. Promise me something."

"Anything."

"If you start to feel like we don't want you, like you don't have anyone or anywhere – come to one of us. Any of us; it doesn't have to be Antonio, or Lauren, or me. But come to one of us. Promise me."

Jayden swallowed hard. "I promise."

"Even if you don't see the point? Even if you think it's worthless?"

"I'll come."

"Ok." She stood, opening her arms; it took Jayden a minute, but he stepped into the hug and she smiled. "We're good," she told him.

"Yeah?" he murmured, relaxing.

"I'll hold you to that promise. But yes. Or, at least, we're good enough."

"Thank you," he breathed, and she smiled again, letting him go.

"We're good," she told him again, and he nodded. "I have to go, Emily's waiting for me. OK?"

"Yes. Thank you, Mia."

She grinned, heading out of the kitchen, and he sank back into his seat, absently playing with his glass.

Antonio came back a few minutes later, deliberately clattering in to keep from startling him. "Mia gone?"

"Yeah." Jayden carefully put down his glass. "Now what?"

"What do you mean?" Antonio scooped up the glass, dropping it into the sink. "Right. Don't take this the wrong way, Jay, but it's well past time you took a shower."

"Yeah?" Jayden looked down at himself.

"Think you can stand up for that long?"

"I just woke up, Antonio."

Antonio studied him. "Think you can stand up for that long?"

"Yes," Jayden said patiently. "I can stand up for that long."

"Good. Let's go."

"Antonio..."

"Jayden, you don't have..."

"Please."

Antonio sighed, slumping into one of the chairs. "Yes, Jayden?"

"I'm sorry for..." he gestured. "Everything. Everything I said, and everything I did...I'm so sorry, Antonio."

"I know you are. You're forgiven, Jayden."

"The things I said..."

"You were lonely," Antonio said with a shrug.

"Yeah," Jayden agreed, eyes far away.

Antonio jostled him deliberately. "You are forgiven."

"You forgive too easily. You forgive _me_ too easily."

"It's my forgiveness, I can do what I want with it. Now come on. Shower."

Jayden got through the shower, but he was clearly exhausted and Antonio left him to sleep. Lauren was in the living room, studying a scroll, but she looked up when Antonio came in. "How is he?"

"Completely worn out. I've left him to sleep."

"On his own?"

"Jayden doesn't do well with crowding. He needs time alone. What are you looking at?"

"Just looking." She tilted the scroll so he could see it. "There are hundreds of symbols I never learned because they weren't going to be useful to me. I thought I'd at least start looking."

Antonio traced one of the symbols slowly. "Change. And something about colour..."

"It turns green things blue," Lauren supplied.

"I can see why you might have skipped that one."

She smiled, looking back down at the scroll. "Is he all right, Antonio?" she asked quietly.

"No. But he will be," he answered just as softly.

"Are you sure?"

"He will be, or I'll have something to say about it."

"I know I wouldn't want you mad at me," she said solemnly.

Antonio grinned. "What's this symbol?"

They studied the symbols half heartedly for a while before breaking off for dinner. Jayden didn't appear, and when Emily asked Antonio told her he was resting.

 

* * *

 

Jayden didn't appear all evening. Lauren or Antonio checked on him every so often, and most of the others found excuses to pass by the bedrooms at one point or another. As far as any of them could tell Jayden slept straight through; he never even seemed to move.

Kevin woke early the next morning; still tired, but unwilling to stay in bed, he got up and went for his run. When he came back Lauren was practising in the yard and Jayden was sitting on the bench, watching.

"Morning," Kevin called, pausing on the far side of the mats to watch Lauren. Her speed always surprised him, every time he saw it.

"Morning," Lauren said without stopping. Jayden echoed her, but his eyes were on her rather than on Kevin.

"How're you feeling?" Kevin asked him directly.

"Good. Thank you."

His fingers were twitching; Kevin could see him gripping the edge of the bench to keep them still. Lauren fumbled a move and Jayden shifted as though to join her, but he didn't move.

Kevin turned away and headed inside. Mike was in the hallway, pretending not to watch them through the door. "Morning," Kevin muttered, passing him and heading to the kitchen.

Mike trailed him, leaning against the door. "Good run?"

"It was fine. He isn't doing anything, he's just sitting there."

Mike made an effort to look surprised. "What?"

"Jayden's outside, but he hasn't picked up a weapon and he isn't training; he's just watching Lauren."

"That's not... I wasn't..." Mike scowled, shrugging it off. "How's he seem?"

"Like Jayden. Go talk to him."

"No." Mike shook his head, turning to go back to his room.

Kevin grimaced, watching him go, but he didn't call him back. They couldn't force Mike to face up to this, much as they wanted to.

Lauren and Jayden stayed outside until lunch time. When they came in she came to join Kevin, holding up the Lion Zord; it was shut down, inert in her hand. "Here."

"What's this for?" He took it automatically, studying it with a frown.

"It's a weapon."

Kevin blinked, understanding. "I didn't mean this. Give it back to him."

"Don't give it back to him until you're ready to let him use weapons, Kevin." Kevin stared at her and she nodded. "He'll wait for you. Be sure."

Turning away, she went to check on Ji, already sketching the healing symbol. Between them, she and Emily were keeping him relatively pain free, though he still had only limited use of his arm.

 

* * *

 

Mia was talking quietly with Ji, who was sitting up; she smiled at Lauren as she came in. "Hey. Have you been training all morning?"

"Yeah." She checked Ji's bandages. "That looks good – I don't really know what else to do, Mia. There's nothing to fight, and that's all I've ever done."

Mia was carefully not catching Ji's eye. "How's Jayden?"

Lauren glanced over her shoulder. "Quiet. How does that feel, Ji? Any pain?"

"Nothing serious."

She smiled, heading back to the living room and sitting beside Jayden. Mia watched them for a minute before turning back to Ji. "Can I get you anything, Mentor?"

"No. Thank you."

She nodded, fiddling with his pillow for a minute. "Maybe you can get up soon."

"Perhaps. Then we can get back to normal."

"There's no normal any more, Mentor. Master Xandred is gone, the Nighlok are gone. Normal needs to change."

"Normal is what it is, Mia."

"Well, ‘normal’ used to be Jayden's father as Red Ranger, right? Things changed because they had to. They have to change again now."

"Mia," Jayden said quietly. She glanced over to see him standing in the corridor; Antonio was hovering at his shoulder, watching carefully. "Leave it. Please."

"Jayden..."

"Please."

"I just think we should get back to normal," Ji said again.

" 'Normal' is Jayden stuck here training twenty hours a day and Lauren sequestered and training twenty two hours a day," Antonio pointed out.

"Obviously some things will change..."

"Everything needs to change."

"Antonio," Jayden protested.

"Shiba House has a duty to be ready whenever the Nighlok reappear," Ji said firmly. "We must honour that duty, or all that we've done means nothing."

"What we've _done_ is locked away Master Xandred! Lauren sealed him and he's never coming back. The ship went down, the Sanzu's drained away. We are _safe_."

"Antonio," Jayden said again. "Stop. Please."

"Jayden, I can't let him do this. Not again. Not to either of you."

" _I don't know what else to do._ "

Kevin touched Mia's shoulder; Emily was behind him, eyes wide as she took in the scene. "What's going on?" he asked. Mia shrugged helplessly.

Antonio turned on Ji. "Do you see this? They have no idea how to be people."

"Antonio!" Emily caught his arm, dragging him around, away from Ji. "You and Lauren need to take Jayden and go somewhere _else._ "

"Emily..."

"We'll have this discussion," she promised him. "But right now, everyone's tired and on edge. This isn't the time for it."

Antonio glanced at Jayden, grimacing. Jayden was pale, leaning against the wall; Lauren didn't look much better. "Yeah," he muttered, scrubbing a hand over his face.

"No." Ji struggled to his feet. "No, let's talk about this now. Jayden, do you want to walk away from everything we've worked for?"

"Everything we've worked for is _over_!" Jayden exploded, shrugging off Lauren's restraining hand. "I was only ever my sister's shadow and it's _done_ , Ji! She doesn't need me now!"

"Jayden," Lauren protested, and he shook his head impatiently.

"Want and need aren't the same thing; I know that. But everything I worked for ended six days ago, and everything you worked for ended five days ago. It's finished. And I don't want to go back to that. I just don't know how to be anything else."

Ji shook his head. "Everything your father planned for..."

"Is over, Ji," Mike said from the doorway. "They won. Let them enjoy it a bit, huh?" Deliberately looking straight at Antonio, he added, "Some people aren't very good at change. Some of us need time to work things out."

"Yeah?"

He glanced at Jayden. "Well, thicker heads. Needs time to get through." Looking back at Ji, he added, "This should really wait a little while, Mentor."

Jayden stepped away from Lauren. "I don't agree with everything Antonio's saying, Mentor. But I do think this isn't the time to discuss this. When you're feeling better."

Ji started to argue, and Lauren said firmly, "Conversation over, for now. Everyone go and relax, all right? No training today, anyway."

"Hey, Jayden." Kevin pitched the Lion Zord back to him, smiling at the sheer relief on Jayden's face. "I'm still watching you. But you can go ahead whenever Lauren says you can."

"Thank you," Jayden murmured, holding the Zord tightly.

"Come on." Lauren nudged him gently, steering him out of the dojo; she glanced at Antonio, but he waved her off and lingered, watching as the others dispersed. Mike was still watching as Antonio turned back to Ji.

"I have always only wanted what was best for Jayden," Ji said quietly.

"I know," Antonio agreed. "He has plenty of good memories, too. The problem is that when what's good for Jayden came up against what's good for the plan, you always chose the plan. It saved the world, but it messed them up, and that's what we need to deal with."

"The routine is what he knows, it would give him time to think..."

"The routine is not what he needs. He loves you. He'll listen to you. Be careful what you say."

He turned away, slipping out past Mike, who followed him. "Antonio."

"Yeah."

Mike considered him for a moment. "You need to be careful, too. You have Jayden and Lauren both listening to you."

"I know," Antonio murmured. "But staying here, training and working for a fight that's over..."

"It's not right," Mike agreed. "But I don't know what is right, and I don't think they know, and they're looking at you. Be careful."

"I will."

 

* * *

 

Mike talked himself into and out of it half a dozen times before he knocked on Jayden's door.

Jayden didn't look surprised to see him, and Mike wondered vaguely how many of the others had knocked already. The room was empty, and his surprise must have shown, because Jayden said mildly, "They're next door in Lauren's room."

Mike nodded briefly. "Jayden..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Me first." Jayden nodded, backing up to sit on the bed, and Mike concentrated for a moment, trying to get his thoughts lined up. "You're an idiot, Jayden."

"So I keep hearing; sorry."

"It's worse because you're _really smart_. Antonio was right; less than a day after you Fell we were on the ropes. If you'd really been trying we'd never have been able to stand against you."

"Tactics," Jayden murmured. "It's not hard...Mike?"

"Yeah."

"I was cruelest to you because I knew you'd fight me, and I needed to take you out. That's why – the things I said, they were all designed to hurt you and knock you down because I needed you out of the picture. I can fight off any of the others; but I couldn't plan for you, because I can't predict your ideas. You were dangerous to me."

Mike shrugged it off, but he was smiling. "You're too smart to believe that stuff about us not wanting you. Remember this, in the future."

"I promise," Jayden agreed.

"Good." Mike nodded, turning to leave, feeling lighter than he had in a long time.

 

* * *

 

Lauren waited for Mike to leave before looking in on Jayden; he was tired, but he looked better for making up with his last teammate. Lauren left him there and went to check on Ji.

"Are you in any pain?" she asked, examining his arm. The wound was almost healed, but the nerves needed more time.

"Not much."

She nodded, casting the symbol, and he relaxed slightly.

Lauren dragged over one of the stools, sitting carefully. "Mentor."

"Yes, Lauren."

"I'm going to declare the war over and release the team."

Ji took a couple of breaths before answering. "Do you think that's wise?"

"I think the war is over. They're welcome to stay if they want; this House will always be open to them. But they have lives that they put on hold for this fight, and they deserve to go back to them if they want to."

"That is your choice, as head of house." He studied the ceiling for a moment before looking back at her. "May I make a request?"

"Anything in my power."

"When I'm well enough to travel, I would like permission to return to the Tengen Gate."

"Mentor..." She stood, reaching for his good hand. "We don't want you to leave."

"I know. But I think it's time. I raised Jayden. I cannot see him in pain and not try to help. But it's become very clear that my help is not what he needs."

"He loves you."

"Yes." Ji squeezed her hand lightly. "The Gate is not so far away. We will see each other. And if I am needed, I will be there. But I think he needs me not to be here now. And I have always, always tried to do what is best for him."

Lauren nodded, letting go of his hand to wipe her eyes. "You are released, Mentor Ji, with all of my gratitude, and my word that anything you need will be provided to you. Shiba House cannot repay our debt to you."

"It was my honour, Lauren."

 

* * *

 

The next morning Ji joined them for breakfast; he was a little shaky, but he stood and moved under his own power and he ate without being prodded.

When everyone was done, Lauren rose to her feet. "I have an official announcement," she told them.

"Uh oh," Mike murmured. Emily elbowed him, smiling, and he grinned at her.

Lauren smiled faintly at them. "As Head of Shiba House, I am officially declaring the war against the Nighlok over. You have served valiantly and well, and I am more grateful than I can say. You are released and may return to your lives."

Mike glanced around; no one seemed quite sure what to say. "Thanks?" he said, deliberately uncertain. Emily smiled automatically and the others relaxed a little.

"You're welcome to stay, if you'd rather," Lauren said, relaxing now that the official part was over. "You are always welcome here. But I know you all walked away from your lives to come here, and if you want to return to them, you have our blessings."

"Jayden?" Emily said quietly.

Jayden looked up from where he'd been staring at the floor. "Go be with Serena," he told her. "We'll be here; Lauren and I are staying here."

"Me too," Antonio agreed quickly.

Mike had been watching Ji, and he frowned at a sudden suspicion. "Ji?"

Ji stirred. "When I can travel, I'll be returning to the Tengen Gate."

"Returning," Emily repeated blankly.

"Ji served at the Gate for years before coming here to tutor us," Jayden supplied absently. "Ji..."

"It's what I want," Ji told him. "You and Lauren are more than capable of maintaining the watch for the Nighlok. And I won't be far, if I'm needed."

"This is still your home."

"I know. And I will always be here if I'm needed. But the Gate will be quiet, and I'm looking forward to it."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Mike agreed, and Ji smiled at him.

"Believe it or not, I will miss you, Mike. I've certainly learned a lot about patience, working with you."

Mike grinned, and pretended hurt, and the others grinned and laughed and started making plans. No one was surprised when Jayden slipped away, nor when Antonio followed him.

Antonio found him sitting on the bench in the garden, staring at the walls. "You're missing the fun," he announced, dropping to sit beside him.

"Am I?"

"Well, you're missing everyone's plans."

"Ah."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not very good at change, Antonio. And this is the biggest change of my life. How do I go from 'Jayden, leader of the Rangers and Lauren's shadow' to 'Jayden'?"

"Why do you keep saying that?"

"Saying what?"

"Lauren's shadow."

Jayden shrugged. "It's what I am. Or was. Her decoy. Everything I ever did was to protect her. I don't know who Jayden is."

"Time to find out, then. One day, one step at a time."

"It might take a while. Did I mention I'm not good at change?"

Antonio shrugged. "I don't have anywhere better to be. Come on."

He stood and Jayden followed. They paused outside the front door; Antonio could hear Mike's voice rising in entirely feigned indignation, and the girls laughing.

"Mia's going to be in town," he said. "She's already promised to come and make sure we're eating right. Mike hasn't made any plans yet, he's probably going to stick around at least for a while. Kevin'll check in, Emily's going to be calling all the time, and Ji's not that far away. We can walk to the Gate any time, it's near enough. Not everything changes. And not all changes are bad."

"No," Jayden agreed quietly. "I mean, yes."

Antonio laughed, thumping him on the shoulder. "Come on. Your future awaits, and it's going to be golden."

Jayden smiled, took a deep breath, and went to join his team.


End file.
